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High production costs, inflation, building maintenance, and repairs are just a few of the many expenses squeezing the margins for pork producers in America, with no help from continually decreasing demand as the generation of primary pork consumers age out. What we’re left with are generations that, according to a study by the National Pork Board, consider pork to be less desirable than other protein choices. But not for long, according to the national pork group.

The study, conducted in 2023, found a decline in pork consumption across every generation. These findings have pushed pork producers, and leaders of the trade, to take a closer look at who their consumers are, how to connect with them, and where.�� ��

Generational shifts are the single largest contributor to decreased consumption over the next decade, according to the study. The per capita consumption of pork within the Boomer generation has decreased from 17.4 pounds in 2017, to 16.6 pounds in 2022, and 14.4 pounds in 2023. Although changes of a pound or two might seem insignificant, it’s not. And it doesn’t stop there; a outlining some of the study’s findings suggest if the industry doesn’t bring younger consumers into the category at a faster rate, annual consumption will decline another 2.2 lbs over the next ten years.��

It also finds per capita consumption of pork decreases between Boomers at 30.4 lbs, and Gen X at 21.3 lbs. But for Millennials, a significant drop to 13.8 lbs, and furthermore, decreases by more than half when it comes to Gen Z, at 5.8 lbs.��

But, leaders on the pork board don’t seem panicked. In fact, they’re excited about the opportunity to put pork on more dinner tables.

Jesse Heimer, Missouri pork producer and member of the National Pork Board said there’s a lot they’ve gleaned from the consumer study.��

“For many years, the pork industry has relied on the boomer generation to carry the water, so to speak. They’ve consumed a lot of pork over their years. They’ve always consumed nearly the same amount of pork year after year. And we’re seeing a big difference between the boomer generation, my parents generation, likely your parents generation, to the younger generations today, the Z’s, the millennials, those generations don’t consume pork in the same way, and they don’t view pork the same way.”

Former pork board member and South Carolina pig producer Jan Archer said she sees this as well, anecdotally, in her own family.

“My children are millennials. They eat pork differently than I did. They buy things differently than I did. They’re not buying huge cuts of anything. They’re buying smaller cuts. They’re cooking it differently. They’re using Instapots, they’re using air fryers. I still don’t do that. But my generation is not the generation necessarily that checkoff is focused on. It’s focused on the future and those future buyers.”��

And Heimer said most those future buyers, are all online.��

“We have to meet them where they are, so to speak. So we’re going where they are. And we know where they are because of technology. Because of technology. We know what they like, what they’re interested in, what they pay attention to, what they buy. And so it’s up to us to figure that part out and then meet them where they are.”

Nebraska pork producer Bill Luckey, also a member of NPB, said with the strongest pork generation aging out, they’re looking squarely ahead, at the Millennial and Gen Z groups.

“We’re going to have to make sure that we’re relevant for them, that they understand us and we understand them. They’re going to get their information different ways than [how] I got my information.”

So when it comes to how, and where to connect with them… Heimer said that’s where the board is getting creative.��

“You know, there’s incredible technology today that allows us to on popular sites where folks look for those Recipes. And as you can expect, all of this is linked to social media. I read a stat the other day that I think there’s more than CNBC had. A stat that more than 57% of Z’s are on social media – generation Z’s. That’s global, by the way, and that stat… just really suggests that… they’re everywhere and they’re connected to their phones. They’re no different than me. I’m connected to my phone.”

To narrow it down, Luckey said they’re focusing on regional areas of the U.S. that will have the most impact. Which means, targeting consumers on the coast. Both of them, to be specific.��

“We’re going to be targeting mainly the east and west coast, our population centers, because face it, in the midsection here in the United States, a lot of pigs, relatively low number of people. We’re going to go to where there’s a lot of people and a low number of pigs because that’s where we need to present our product and make sure pork is relevant for them.”

Archer says location isn’t the only thing they’re honing in on.��

“We’ve also done a lot of work with our domestic international marketing looking at how different populations are eating pork. How is our Hispanic population eating pork? How is our Asian population eating pork? These are populations for whom pork is culturally really significant.” ��

She says part of the consumer study included questions that helped define what consumer’s protein preferences are, which helped differentiate between confident meat-eaters, to value-seeking customers, or even culinary adventurers.��

All of this, in an effort to enlighten the swath of folks marketing pork, from producer to purchaser, including packers, too.

Here’s Luckey again.��

“We’re going to be working with our packers, our processors, the retailers to make sure that this is a joint effort that every, you know, if everyone in the supply chain can make a little bit of money, that’s benefit for everyone. So we’re going to have a great relationship with our retailers and packers also.”

Heimer said they’re excited to connect with consumers in ways that really matter for themselves, and their families.��

“And now it’s up to us to just meet them where they are and be where they’re buying at the purchase point and help them navigate the challenges of figuring out what to buy, how to cook it, how to prepare it, what the end result might be. And oh, by the way, we need to make it . We need to make it fast and convenient and accessible, and all of those things are possible with a protein like pork.”